The following two illustrations with their various measurements are merely approximations and should not be taken as exact representations; nevertheless I believe they provide us with a general idea as to the overall size and dimension of the entrance. From what I’ve been able to gather thus far through my studies is there appears to be some variations to these measurements from one investigator to the next so determining the exact figures is rather difficult, however since this aspect of the Pyramid is not necessarily pertinent to our study we should not be to overly concern.

A particular view often depicted in many studies on the Pyramid is that of the masonry work taken from an easterly vantage point looking toward the west or right side of the entrance. As you can see from the following two illustrations there appears to be some discrepancy between just how the various courses of masonry were constructed, obviously our investigators each saw things a little different in their own investigations. Nevertheless in both of these illustrations the shaded areas denote all the stones which remain following the removal of the “sloping stones” and abundant masonry, and what we have left is the exposed masonry as viewed to the right of the entrance.

       

It should likewise be understood that the upright stones (B), which appear to be overriding the ceiling of the entrance passage are in fact located to the far right of the entrance tunnel, the original ceiling stones long since having been removed. Immediately above these stones located to the right of the entrance were place another particular course of stones (A) apparently with the intention of aiding in bringing the entrance opening which is on a 26 degree angle leading down to the subterranean chamber back in line horizontally with the remainder of the pyramid. Even so the remainder of the courses above and around these stones as depicted in the pictures above still remain a bit confusing to us especially when we take into consideration that the “slanted masonry” (C), which was set at approximately a 50º angle and located to the left and the right of the entrance as seen in the photos below (the purpose of which is still not exactly known), appears to be missing although it is possible that from their particular vantage point what was illustrated above is exactly what they saw, unfortunately all we have to go by is what photos are available to us. Nevertheless it appears the architect went to a lot of effort in designing this elaborate entrance.

Upon a closer examination of Fig. 1 we can see that there is a distinctive deviation in the angle of the masonry, course by course as it is slowly adjusted from the 26 degree angle of the descending passage to that of the horizontal plane of the remainder of the Pyramid.

Point A represents the horizontal plane of the Pyramid; in contrast Point F denotes the 26 degree angle of the entrance masonry (take special note of the hand rails these too are set on this particular angle). Now note how from Point F back to Point B how the stone courses gradually are brought back onto a horizontal plane. By the time the stone courses reach the 27th course (Point B) the entrance masonry is relatively back on line with the remainder of the Pyramid, this can be seen quite readily in the next two illustrations.

The illustration above (keeping in mind that this is merely an approximation) shows a little more detail into how the entrance was constructed including the “slanted masonry” located to the right of the entrance, the actual design and placement of the various stones involved in this masonry differing somewhat from that of the design shown at the top of this page, keep in mind that particular illustration was meant only to be used as a basic guide to aid us in determining the overall measurements of the entrance. Here we can see that the entrance passage is much more elaborate than what we might have previously imagined more than merely a simple opening in the side of the Pyramid.

This is a cut out of the Pyramid showing the entrance passage with the casing stones in place (Note: in this particular illustration we have not illustrated the “slanted masonry”). Regardless you may have noted from both this illustration and from the previous one that we have simply illustrated the stones located immediately below the “slanted masonry” as consisting merely of a rectangular mass of stones, the reason for this is because there is no indication (nor way of proving), that these stones continued on down alongside the stones immediately found over the descending passage, however with regards to the ceiling stones themselves they are not only visible from within the descending passage, but I believe are likewise revealed at the opening where Al Mamoun’s forced passage opens up near the granite plugs here their width is once again confirmed. Another particular set of stones whose width likewise remains the same beginning from the entrance all the way down to this point is the floor-stones.

“These floor-stones (2 ½ feet in height, three across) can be traced at their exposed outer ends for a combined width of thirty three feet, from east to west. Because of this great width Professor C. Piazzi Smyth named the floor of the Descending Passage the “Basement Sheet”. Down the center of this long broad sheet of stone, and at a distance of three and half feet apart, the walls of the passage are laid; and placed on top of these are immense roof-stones, eight and a half feet in thickness, and over twelve feet in width from east to west.

Thus, while the Descending Passage is very narrow, the sheet of masonry which forms its floor is so broad, that by this means the passage sustains its symbolical significance, namely, its representation of the “broad way that leads to destruction.” Professor Smyth was of the opinion that the present outside end of this Basement-sheet is also its original north-beginning. Nevertheless, the ancient doorway must have been nearly ten and a half feet further out, in line with the now missing casing of the building (See the second black and white illustration above). In the symbolic and scientific features of the Pyramid, both the ancient and present north commencements of the Descending Passage floor are recognized thus proving that Professor Smyth was correct in his opinion as to the importance of the Basement sheet.

Without doubt the Entrance Passage was constructed to endure; and the workmanship displayed in it has been the object of the great admiration of all investigators, both ancient and modern. Professor Greaves on beholding the beautiful masonry of this passage in 1638 thirty eight centuries after the completion of the building exclaimed with almost Tennysonian feeling: “The structure of it hath been the labor of an exquisite hand, and appears by the smoothness and evenness of the work, and by the close knitting of the joints”; and Professor C. Piazzi Smyth writes: “No one with an ability to appreciate good work can look unmoved with admiration at the extraordinarily truthful straight lines, and close fitting of the wall joints near and about the present Entrance”; while Professor Flinders Petrie adds his testimony in the following eulogism: “The pavement, lower casing, and Entrance Passage are exquisitely wrought; in fact the means employed for placing and cementing the blocks of soft limestone weighing a dozen or twenty tons each, with such hair-like joints are almost inconceivable at present; and the accuracy of the leveling is marvelous.” (Great Pyramid Passages, Pages 215-216)

One more item before we conclude here, there has been some debate as to whether or not there were actually 144,000 casing stones encompassing the Pyramid with some computer calculations indicating only 40,000 to 50,000 total stones, roughly 10 to 15 thousand per side, however we fell to see how this computer estimate could be established unless it were determined that all the stones were roughly the exact same size as the limestone blocks located immediately behind them on each course, however as was illustrated in our last drawing above and confirmed by the remaining casing stones found at the base of the Pyramid, we believe these stones not only varied in height, width, and length, but likewise that additional white casing stones were placed immediately behind these, and not in any exact manner. Sometimes a long “header block” was placed abutting two outer stones (as depicted in the photo below), sometimes it might be the other way around or possibly just one stone found directly behind another. Depending on their size certain casing stones might even have gone two to three deep into a course on some occasions . Computer calculations could not possibly account for the number of these hidden stones.

As for ourselves spiritually speaking we can see how these white casing stones representative of the body of Christ, robed in white raiment could vary in size and shape even as star differs from star, and as for the hidden stones is it not true that some members of the body are more visible to us than are others, perhaps further thoughts to ponder.

We will continue with our examination of the pyramid in our next post.